Overview

The ATH-WS55 Solid Bass headphones deliver incredibly full and textured bass, along with the astonishing clarity and fidelity for which Audio-Technica is renowned. Audio-Technica’s sophisticated driver technology and superior components deliver exceptional power handling, maintaining clarity of sound throughout their extended range. The headphones feature 40 mm drivers for powerful sound and efficient signal transfer.

Features

Solid Bass System with new double air chamber reproduces richer and deeper bass

Reviews

good, but they could use some tweaking

3

I have had this product since last night and there are not any bad things really, it is comfortable enough, looks amazing, but the sound quality is poor. I have to turn up the volume a lot to hear anything good, and the cord is really short. It's some where around 2 1/2 ft if I estimate. As I was doing a little dance to celebrate getting these, my phone fell out of my pocket, and the cord pulled, and I was afraid these broke, but they didn't. the cord is durable, but no long enough. I just don't want the jack to pull out of my phone, for fear of hurting the headphones. Overall, good looks, stylish, comfortable, but thin construction, I am always afraid if I do one thing wrong they will snap, and they do not have good bass. They are weak in sound, and they also don't have 3 button mic on the cord. What's with that? Good, but not great. So it gave what it promised (except the sound) and nothing else.

james, the animal whisperer

Bedford NY

2016-03-14

Incredibly well-made, quality product

5

I ordered a red pair three Christmases ago. I've been making music for a while and have been through hundreds of pairs of headphones, but these have lasted and then some.
The audio quality is perfectly balanced. Rich bass, good middles and vibrant highs.
Very comfortable headphones. The speakers swivel and the upholstery is well-made--not to mention that they look professional.
On top of all that, I've gotten the cord caught a ton of times, scraped the outside of the speakers, and even run over the headphones with a skateboard. The sound is unaffected and they show no signs of a short.
You are actually robbing yourself if you don't give these a try.

Collin Kerr

Norman, OK

2015-10-26

true

Plastic Creaks

1

If you listen at low to moderate volume, every time you turn your head the plastic makes creaking sounds. So unless you listen totally motionless, the noise the headphones make will drive you crazy.

MplsSound

Mpls. MN

2014-08-14

Exceptional

5

OK Add me to the Skeptical list. I am always in search for better cans it seems. When I got these, I was instantly amazed. The high end is nice, clear, but not bright. The Bass in these blows that other set away. By far, it's nice, low, deep. Not rattle-some. (It doesn't over shake the cans.). The response is nice and clear, and the audio is not fatiguing to the ear. (A very often problem I have with cans). These are by far the best cans I have purchased and can't recommend these enough to others.
My only draw back is they do get a little uncomfortable if you're listening for a while.

BOX6853

Quincy, MA

2014-04-19

Awesome Casual Headphones

5

I've had these headphones for casual use for the better part of 3 years after getting upset about going through a pair of cheaper headphones once a year, and they still work amazing. The audio quality on the higher notes on this pair has always suffered from a small amount of noise, but that generally happens with ipods (I should have bought the more compatible version). But all in all this was a great buy that has lasted a long while even when used for many hours daily.

wanologic

Eugene, OR, USA

2014-03-03

Great quality, but not very durable

3

I've had these headphones for about 6 months, and i must say- these are my favorite headphones that I have bought to date. Sound quality is excellent, and I love how light they are. However, they are not quite as durable as I had hoped. One side has lost audio, and the pads on the side have flattened, making them slightly less comfortable. Overall, I would reccomend these, but if you have another 50 dollars or so to invest, I would say to go with the ATH-M50 or ATH-M50x.

JuicyJ865

Undisclosed

2014-02-16

Great pair of headphones, one major flaw.

4

I got these headphones today for a really good price and they exceeded my expectations. The bass is very responsive and boomy, but not overpowering. I had a bass boost equalizer and another equalizer set to boost bass and bass boost along side those two equalizers running and I got some very good bass on my MP3 player at max volume. I have yet to try it on my computer (will edit later when I do if at all possible), but judging by the results from the MP3 player I should see some very good bass, especially without an amplifier. The mids and highs were good, I really don't pay attention to those, but I expect you can get a decently balanced sound, but this will lean towards the bass side of the spectrum as this is enhanced for bass. They are comfortable despite the lack of padding at the top, and they fit nicely on my ears, but they do no go over my ears and my ears are a medium size. They are very lightweight so the amount of padding is more than sufficient. Because of the way these fit they seem to get rid of all the leakage. When the volume is up on maximum on my MP3 player and the bass is up the bass was noticeable in a very quiet room, but it's so insignificant someone would have to be next to you to notice, so the leakage is handled VERY well. My main concern is build quality. The build quality on these are very bad. You could be more rough with baby than with this. The cords seem loose, the plastic seems easily breakable, the cups seem to be easy to break, and the adjustment module seems weak. The only plus to the build quality is the metal headband, but that's not too significant. I would avoid these if you will use these for hours on end every day, but then again the warranty should suffice. My only other grips is the dual cords, they should have went with a single cord but this isn't too bad of a con.
Overall I would recommend this if you're careful with it, but Audio Technica needs to try harder when it comes to build quality on these.

attkmaster

Illinois, USA

2013-09-26

A Real Treat

5

Pros: Very tight and controlled bass, energetic treble, excellent cup swiveling feature for portable functionality, makes electronic music come alive
Cons: Strong clamping force at first, build feels a bit fragile, V-Shaped signature not best for mid-centric music, treble can get a bit splashy
I was a bit skeptical at first about how these would sound, but when I put them on and started listening, I was instantly blown away. These headphones really make electronic music shine, especially with more atmospheric songs. DnB, electro and dubstep are perfectly reproduced.
However, these don't just make electronic music sound incredible, but everything I tried with them sounded incredible; from Mozart, to Styx, all the way to Skrillex, Rchetype and back.
The Audio-Technica Solid Bass WS55 stands up to its name. These have some of the most controlled and detailed bass that I've heard, especially for a bass-heavy headphone. It is deep, impactful, and extends quite well. Even with a major bass boost from an EQ or an amplifier, the bass stays controlled.
Build is a bit iffy. Overall, it feels a bit fragile, like it might crack if I were to accidentally drop it onto a hard floor.
The back of the cups are made of a nice aluminum with the Audio-Technica logo standing out.
These are excellent for portable use. The swiveling cups allow someone to simply turn the cup and listen to someone talk on either side of them. I find it very useful.
Comfort may depend on the person's head, but I found these to be a bit uncomfortable at first. The clamping force is really strong until you stretch it out a bit.Only took me a couple minutes of stretching to make them more comfortable for me.
The signature on these is more or less a V-shaped signature, but there's more upper-mid presence than I normally find with V-shaped headphones, so vocals don't really sound distant.
Separation is overall average with these. It's limited by the smaller cups.
Soundstage is also average. I wouldn't describe it as too congested, but it's not to spacey. I find there to be a bit more depth than width.
Bass - As stated earlier, the bass is very controlled and tight. It is really magnificent. Some of the best bass I've heard yet. Subbass extension is excellent.
Mids - Mids aren't too prevalent on these, but they're clean, clear, and overall a good presentation from them.
Treble - My favorite part of these headphones is the treble. It is energetic, lively, and sparkly, while not being sibilant or harsh. It can get a bit splashy with certain cymbals, though, but not too much. There's a good amount of detail provided here, but nothing to write home about.
Overall - I would recommend these headphones to anyone looking for something bass-heavy and clean-sounding to use on the go; especially someone that listens to a lot of electronic music. Build could be a bit better. Truly outstanding sounding headphones.

pro1137

Sanborn, Cambria, NY 14132, USA

2013-03-24

Better than Beats.

5

Reasons why you should buy this over the Dr.Dre Beats. first thing that was wrong with the Beats was that it let the music out of the headphones. with the WS55's, the beat stays in your headphones(even with high volume.).
The Beats are huge and easy to break. I break products really easily. I have had the Ws55's for a year now and not one problem has occurred. If you are looking for the Bass that just makes you headphones break and vibrate, then this is not the headphones for you. The bass on these headphones are punchy and greatly responsive.
The high the mids and the low basses are amazingly handled with the speakers. overall it is a GREAT product.

Freddy

Shreveport, LA, USA

2012-12-10

Amazing Headphones!

5

At first I was skeptical in buying a pair of headphones from a company I have never heard of, but after reading so many positive reviews I had to try them out. The headphones are extremely comfortable as well as light. I can wear these headphones for hours without feeling tightness or pain in my ears. The highs are perfect and the bass is rich and deep. I have compared these headphones to Beats and Ludacris headphones and it exceeds their quality by far! For over half the price! I would recommend these headphones to anyone who wants to experience a quality sound for cheap!

BrodyA

Illinois

2012-11-02

ATH-WS55 Solid Bass Over-Ear Headphones

4.313

100.0

Q & A

One of the hook broke and I have to replace the whole headband with cushion and hook. I cannot find a spare part in my country. Any other place I can find it still? Or would m50x headband fit for this model?

sovvy

2018-08-21

Thank you for your inquiry. This site is designed to answer questions for the Americas. Please see the below link to find the Audio-Technica office responsible for your part of the globe. They will be happy to help.
https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/site/8b3fe093f660836a/index.html

2018-08-22

Rick

Can you please recommend a carrying case for the ATH-WS55 headphones?

David

2015-09-30

Audio-Technica does not manufacture a case for the ATH-WS55 and you may use a third party manufacturers case.

2015-10-01

ATUS_Specialist3

Are these headphones compatible with android?
I have a htc one m8 and I was wondering if they are compatible with them. Thanks in advance.

MattO

2014-06-18

Thank you for your inquiry. The will work fine for listening to music, but please note there is no controls for the phone.

2014-06-19

AudioSolutionsManager

I also have an HTC One M8 with these. To get the proper performance out of these headphones, you'll need to get an inline amp, sometimes called pocket amps, mine for example is the FiiO E6. The amp is needed due to the higher impedance in these headphones compared to common earbuds, but the higher impedance means they can handle more power without sound quality loss. The amp should only be necessary for some devices that do not output much power, ie not needed for PC or Home Theater system.

2016-04-22

EE with a twist

WS55 or WS77
Which of the two headphones are more comfortable?

TheBass

2013-08-18

Thank you for your inquiry. I personally think the ATH-WS77 is more comfortable. The ear cups are larger in size and fit better over the ear.

2013-08-21

AudioSolutionsManager

Are alternative earpads available?
I am enjoying these headphones, but I find that the earpads are not as comfortable as I would like them to be. Are there any alternative earpads available?

waveclimb

2013-08-17

Thank you for your inquiry. We do not manufacture other ear pads for this headphone.

2013-08-21

AudioSolutionsManager

Amped/Unamped
I am using an older creative zen, is it strong enough to power these phones? Will these headphones work fine on an iPhone or will they need a more recent mp3 player or portable amplifier? Will they also need to be "burned-in"?

fero

2013-07-22

Both the Creative ZEN MP3 Player and the iPhone are reported to have good sound quality and ample headphone power. Paired with the fairly high sensitivity (100 dB/mW) and low impedance (40 ohms) of the ATH-WS55 Solid Bass Headphones, you should reach more than sufficent volume levels without taxing either devices headphone amplifier. The addition of a good quality dedicated Headphone Amplifier can be of benefit however. Sound quality is typically improved and the battery life of the music players battery may be extended. We have no established or suggested "burn-in" procedures or times for our headphones.

2013-07-31

AudioSolutionsSpec1

How are they over glasses?
The headphones I've used in the past hurt after more than an hour because I wear glasses. Does anyone use their headphones over their glasses, if so, how does it feel?

whovian

2013-05-16

Thank you for your inquiry. Many of our customers use this headphone while wearing glasses. Just how comfortable is a very subjective question, so that is hard to answer.

2013-05-28

AudioSolutionsManager

are these good rock/metal?
I love all kinds of music, mostly rock and I've heard they are but I want to make sure

floppyMcfinagen

2012-12-31

Thank you for your inquiry. Absolutely! They have a wide frequency response and should fit your need.

2013-01-21

AudioSolutionsManager

Do these or the ath-m50's have more bass?

Scruggster

2012-11-24

The WS55 have more bass than the M50. However, they are in two different headphones lines; the M50's are designed for studio monitoring and are meant to sound accurate. Although the M50's have excellent bass response, the WS55 have an accentuated bass response for a nice sonic color.

2012-11-30

AudioSolutionsSpec2

About the same. If you are looking to go places with the headphones, buy the WS55's. If you are planning to stay home and listen to music at home and play games, the you should but the M50's. for my money's worth, buy the M50's.